Nepal flash flood death toll rises to 579, over 2,400 missing — tunnel rescue underway as 777 foreigners unaccounted for

29 August 2026 | Kathmandu, Rasuwa, Nuwakot — Updated 23:45 GMT

Nepal's official death toll from Wednesday's flash flood now stands at 579 people. At least 2,478 people are missing. Nepal's disaster agency on Friday said 1,924 people were missing on its side of the border.

More than 3,700 people have been rescued in Nepal so far but at least 93,000 people are estimated to have been affected by the disaster, according to the Red Cross.

At least 777 foreigners are missing, with Nepal's disaster agency on Friday reporting 517 foreigners unaccounted for – which could include tourists and foreign workers.

Nepal's foreign minister has said the country needs specialised and technical help from other countries for a tunnel rescue and for identifying and storing bodies. It has also asked India for bailey bridges that can quickly be erected.

Welcome to the latest news — where nature's fury, rescue efforts, and the search for survivors continues across Nepal's northern region.

Death Toll Rises to 579 as Over 2,400 Remain Missing in Nepal and Tibet

Nepal's official death toll from Wednesday's flash flood now stands at 579 people, while China says seven people have died in Tibet, the state Xinhua news agency reported early Saturday.

At least 2,478 people are missing. Nepal's disaster agency on Friday said 1,924 people were missing on its side of the border, while China's Xinhua news agency reports the total number of missing in Tibet is now 554.

More than 3,700 people have been rescued in Nepal so far but at least 93,000 people are estimated to have been affected by the disaster, according to the Red Cross.

At least 777 foreigners are missing, with Nepal's disaster agency on Friday reporting 517 foreigners unaccounted for – which could include tourists and foreign workers – and Chinese officials putting the number of foreigners missing at 260.

In India, authorities said they had recovered seven bodies from rivers flowing from Nepal, believed to be flood victims.

Scores of Hindu devotees from across the world are among those missing on the border, as many were on a pilgrimage to Tibet's Mount Kailash.

Sivaranjani Muthunathan was travelling by bus with 56 others to the Chinese border when they became stuck in what they thought was a traffic jam.

"Then there was fog, smoke, something that seemed to suddenly engulf us," Muthunathan, 46, told Agence France-Presse on Friday, showing a phone video she recorded of a torrent surging towards her. Around them, vehicles were swept away or buried under mud.

Nepal Army Rescues Trapped Workers from Hydropower Tunnel in Harrowing Operation

The Nepalese army has undertaken a dangerous and difficult rescue operation of people trapped in a tunnel of a hydropower project in the flood-hit district of Rasuwa. Rescuers are seen crawling on thick mud towards the trapped people and carrying them out to safety.

The survivors are caked in thick layers of mud, covering their clothes and bodies, as they are helped onto a helicopter as part of the rescue operation.

The Nepalese prime minister's office said: "Despite the challenging terrain and hazardous conditions, the Nepalese army team deployed for the rescue has so far successfully rescued two people from the tunnel.

"The search is ongoing to determine how many people are still trapped inside, and efforts to rescue them are underway.

"Despite the challenging conditions in the tunnel, the army is continuing its search and rescue efforts for the remaining people, deploying technical equipment and a specially trained team."

Nepal Requests Foreign Help for Tunnel Rescue, Body Identification and Storage

Reversing an earlier decision, Nepal's foreign minister has said the country needs specialised and technical help from other countries for a tunnel rescue and for identifying and storing bodies. It has also asked China and India for bailey bridges that can quickly be erected.

Nepal's foreign minister Shisir Khanal told Reuters late on Friday that the country needs foreign help in specialised and technical areas in which it does not have expertise but not in search and rescue.

"We have already made requests for such specialised services and technical assistance in areas where we don't have enough expertise and technical knowhow," Khanal said.

Khanal said Nepal has also asked India and China for bailey bridges – portable, prefabricated truss bridges made of standardised panels that can be assembled quickly – to reopen early transport and communication in the disaster-hit area where about two dozen bridges have been destroyed.

Earlier on Friday, Nepal's foreign ministry had said that Kathmandu could manage the rescue efforts on its own for now and declined foreign involvement.

Asked about that stance of his government, Khanal said there was no need for assistance in general search and rescue which was being done by Nepali rescuers. "We think there is no need for repetition in this," he said.

Over 2,400 Missing Including 777 Foreigners — The Numbers by Country

Authorities say more than 1,500 people are missing, including hundreds of foreign nationals and tourists who were in the area to work, trek with guides or make a pilgrimage to a sacred Hindu site.

Here is the breakdown of missing persons by country:

Australian Missing Rises to 41 as One Woman Confirmed Safe

The number of Australians who were reported missing in the catastrophic Nepal flooding disaster has risen to 41, with one family celebrating after an unaccounted-for woman made contact with them yesterday.

It means three additional Australians were confirmed missing overnight – up from 38 who remained unaccounted for on Friday evening.

Other countries are regularly updating tallies for citizens missing or accounted for. Ninety US citizens are missing, according to the state department while three have been rescued. Tourism board figures released by Nepal on Friday showed 98 people from India were missing, but 85 others were rescued.

The Australian government's Department of Foreign Affairs has been urgently working with local authorities to contact Cara Severino, 25, who became the first Australian reported missing who has been confirmed safe.

Nepal Monitoring Barrier Lakes as Second Flood Risk Persists

Nepal is continuing to monitor two barrier lakes upstream of the flood zone, with an official warning that flood risks will persist until both lakes fully drain.

Satellite imagery showed the second lake growing larger with no visible outlet, raising concerns that water pressure could still be building.

Nepal's disaster management authority said flood risks will remain until the two lakes have fully drained, the official added, as one of the two lakes began overflowing on Friday.

Red Cross Launches $31m Appeal as 93,000 Affected

The Nepal Red Cross Society said the agency has shifted its focus from rescue to large-scale relief operations in the flood-hit districts. The Red Cross has estimated that more than 93,000 people have been affected by the disaster and launched an emergency appeal for $31m to respond.

UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher ordered the release of $2m from the UN's central emergency response fund to help with medical care, shelter and water.

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